The subject matter disclosed herein relates to combined cycle power plants and, more particularly, to a combined cycle power plant including a carbon dioxide collection system.
In a combined cycle power plant (CCPP), a gas turbomachine drives a generator, which produces electricity. Waste heat from the gas turbomachine is used to generate steam in a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), which, in turn, is used to generate additional electricity via a steam turbomachine. More specifically, a combined cycle is characteristic of a power producing engine or plant that employs more than one thermodynamic cycle. Heat engines, such as gas turbomachines, are only able to use a portion of the energy their fuel generates (usually less than 50%). Any remaining heat (e.g. hot exhaust fumes) from combustion is generally wasted. Combining two or more “cycles” such as a Brayton cycle (Gas) and a Rankine Cycle (Steam) results in improved output efficiency.